Village Police launch Labor Day weekend DUI enforcement

By Michelle Hammontree-Garcia

Drive sober or get pulled over. This message applies year-round but starting tomorrow, Aug. 13 through Sept. 1, police will increase public awareness through high-visibility enforcement as part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over nationwide campaign.

For many Americans, Labor Day weekend means an extra day off, backyard and beach barbecues, and visiting friends and family.

Unfortunately, it also means a sharp increase in impaired driving related fatalities.

“It’s tragic how many people lose their lives to impaired driving,” said Pinecrest Police Lt. Derrick Bowman. “If the news reported that more than 10,000 people were killed in a preventable crime spree, the American public would be outraged.”

For the third year in a row, Village police will join the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign and arrest anyone caught driving while impaired; no tolerance, no excuses.

Every 51 minutes, someone is killed in an impaired driving crash. Over the Labor Day weekend, those fatalities increase to one every 34 minutes. Nighttime is especially dangerous. Almost half of the fatalities in nighttime crashes over the Labor Day weekend involve a driver with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. By comparison, 25 percent of the fatalities in daytime fatal crashes involved an impaired driver. Drivers are reminded to plan ahead and designate a sober driver before attending any events where alcohol will be served.

“Planning a sober ride home, whether it’s a friend, a taxi or public transportation, is the right choice,” said Lt. Bowman.

Anyone caught driving while impaired, will be arrested. Aside from the obvious risks of causing a fatality, driving while impaired can lead to serious punitive consequences, including jail time and steep expenses. A DUI charge can cost as much as $10,000.

Don’t let the festivities turn into fatalities this Labor Day weekend.